At last, a way to find the man of your dreams and earn the key to his ... safety deposit box?

The Beijing Moral Education Center for Women is running 30-hour training courses, costing RMB 20,000 (US$3,094), to train women on how to lure a wealthy bachelor, as reported on the official city website, Shanghai Municipal People's Government.

Courses include conversation skills, personality development, makeup tips and traditional tea-pouring techniques that are intended to charm an affluent man.

For a secure life

The center's founder Shao Tong, who also teaches at the school, focuses on "educating" students how to decipher a man's character and personality, including how to detect a liar.

In this [learning] process, if I can get to know rich people, I think it could be helpful.— Lily Bing, student at The Beijing Moral Education Center for Women

The timing could not be better for the hopeful Cinderellas as the Hurun Wealth Report, released in April this year, showed that the world’s most populous country is now home to 960,000 tycoons with a personal wealth of RMB 10 million or more.

The school has already attracted more than 2,800 mainly middle-class students since it opened in August 2010.

According to 23-year-old Zhou Yue, a student at the center, having a poor upbringing is a justification to marry for money in order to have an secure life.

"My family had a business and there was a time when things were very difficult for us," she said.

"During that period, I was struggling a lot inside, asking myself why we have to do this, why my childhood had to be so different from other people's.

"So I thought to myself, if I can marry a rich man, at least I won't have any worries."

A marketing hook?

Shao confessed in the same report that the center's "marrying the rich" educational direction serves more like a marketing hook.

"We are nurturing internal qualities and developing potential -- but if I were to advertise the school saying I would like to teach you how to build a good family and to better yourself, lots of girls would rule it out because they feel that they are agreeable and qualified enough," Shao said.

"So then I thought, why not be more straightforward by saying: do you want to marry a rich man?"

Wannabe gold diggers like Center student Lily Bing believes these skills will help her swiftly climb the social ladder to meet the man of her dreams -- the same way that hard work, education, work experience and networking have ushered regular love seekers to meet partners in the upper echelon of society.

"In this [learning] process, if I can get to know rich people, I think it could be helpful," Bing said.

Matchmaking service

Adding to the allure of the program, wealthy eligible Chinese bachelors have approached the school in search of soul mates”, paying up to RMB 30,000 for introductions.

"By taking the classes at this school, women can raise their personal qualities -- and perhaps better meet the expectations of men like us who are looking for a girlfriend or a companion," said Wen Wen, who is currently dating one of the school's former pupils.